Dear All,
This funded PhD opportunity may be of interest to individuals interested in studying aspects of visual social cognition in individuals with disorders of development. I would be grateful if you could distribute this information to possible candidates.
Best wishes
Debbie Riby
PhD Studentship - Visual Social Cognition
* Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
* Reference Code: ION14
Closing Date: 30th April 2009
Details:
Sponsor: Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University
Supervisors: Professor Vicki Bruce <http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/staff/profile/vicki.bruce> and Dr Debbie Riby <http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/staff/profile/d.m.riby>
Duration of Award: 3 years
The human face delivers many social signals that help us to understand our social world. This PhD will investigate areas that may help us to understand more about how normal adults use visual information from faces to build an understanding of other people in their immediate social environment, and/or to gain a sense of social support.
Possible areas for investigation include one or more of the following:
* Some genetic disorders of development affect face processing. We would like to investigate in more depth the processing of social signals from the face by children and adults with Williams' syndrome.
* We are also interested in how the non-verbal behaviours of companion animals may be interpreted compared with those of people. What are the key visual ingredients for a companion animal that help provide 'companionship'?
* In virtual environments such as 'Second Life' people are portrayed by avatars. How are the non-verbal behaviours of such 'virtual' people interpreted compared with behaviours of real people?
The methods used will include, as appropriate, surveys and laboratory experiments with adult participants, and with people with Williams syndrome or other genetic disorders. The student will be based in the Institute of Neuroscience <http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ion/> in the Henry Wellcome Building at Newcastle University.
Project start date: 1 October 2009
Eligibility/Person Specification
You must have at least an upper-second-class Honours degree, or equivalent, in psychology or a closely related discipline, and will also have completed a Master's in psychological research methods or an equivalent Master's-level research training, by the date of commencement of the PhD.
How to Apply
You must apply through the University's postgraduate application form <http://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply/applicationforms/> , inserting the reference number ION14 and selecting 'PhD in the Faculty of Medical Sciences -Neuroscience' as the programme of study. Only mandatory fields need to be completed (no personal statement required) and a covering letter, CV and (if English is not your first language) a copy of your English language qualifications must be attached. The covering letter must state the title of the studentship, quote the reference number ION14 and state how your interests and experience relate to the project.
You should also send your covering letter and CV to Nigel Lamond, Postgraduate Secretary, Institute of Neuroscience, Henry Wellcome Building, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, or by email to [log in to unmask]
Further Information
To find out more about the studentship contact Professor Vicki Bruce ([log in to unmask]) and/or Dr Debbie Riby ([log in to unmask]) at The School of Psychology, Newcastle University, 4th Floor Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, Telephone +44 (0) 191 222 6579.
To find out more about how to apply contact [log in to unmask]
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